Till the Clouds Roll By
by wibblywobblywesteros
Summary: Tony has to help out Tim's little sister and things don't go as expected.


Tim McGee's cell phone rang from his desk for the fifth time. Tim wasn't at his desk to answer it. He was on a case somewhere in the city and left his phone behind.

"Maybe we should just turn off his ringer." Elie Bishop suggested to Tony. "I can't focus with that thing ringing."

"If we touch the phone, McGeek will know." Tony said with a grin.

"Yes but…" The phone rang again before Elie could finish.

Tony got up and went to the phone. "It says, Sarah McGee. That's his sister. Maybe it's important." He flipped the phone open. "Hello, McGee isn't here right now. My name is Tony, I am his personal answering service, (who will be well paid, by the way) how can I help you?"

"Tony? Where is Tim?" Sarah said, her voice sounded strained as if she were upset.

"He's on a case in the city. He left his phone at the office. Want me to give him message?"

She sniffled. "It's kind of...it's kind of an emergency… when do you expect him back?"

"A few hours maybe."

"Oh." Sarah said, leaving the call in silence for a moment.

"Maybe I can help." Tony offered.

"I need a ride." She said.

"Okay, just give me the address and I'll be on my way."

Tony found Sarah at a park bench. She sat there with a huge duffel bag, a backpack and laptop case. As he approached her, he could see that she had a black eye and bruising on her arms as well.

"Sarah...what…?" He wanted to ask what happened, but thought the better of it at the last second. "Where can I take you?"

"To Tim's place. I have a key. Or I did last year. It should still be the same locks, right?" She said.

"I don't know. I never change my locks but McGee...Only one way to find out." Tony helped her carry some of her things to his car. Neither of them spoke for the first few blocks of the drive.

"I was gonna move in with my boyfriend. I had all this stuff packed… he's never hit me before...now I have no boyfriend and no apartment either." She said as an explanation.

"I'm sorry. That really...really sucks." Tony said.

She nodded, apparently still on edge from her ordeal.

"Did you call the police?" Tony asked.

"He is the police. A detective. Cops stick up for their own. Everyone knows that...I didn't see the point…"

"Let's go see if that key works." Tony said when they arrived at McGee's building.

Sarah tried her key five times, each time slightly more frustrated and worried than the last. On the sixth try, Tony put his hand on hers. "It's okay. I can call the office and see if he's back yet. If not, I can always pick the lock."

"You can't. He has a security system. Do really want to explain to the security guards why we're breaking in?" Sarah said, barely concealing her anxiety.

Tony called the office and Elie let him know that Tim was still out on his case. "Is there someone else you can stay with? A relative or a girlfriend?"

"No." She was beginning to lose her composure, a few tears slipped out. "There's no one else. Why don't we just bring my stuff up here and I'll wait in the hallway."

"The building manager may not like that. And I don't think McGee would like it either. I have an idea. You can hang out at my place. I'll go back to work and your brother will come pick you up when he's done with his assignment."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That sounds like a plan. Thank you."

It was late afternoon when McGee finally made it back to the office.

"McGee! You're back. I need to tell you…" Elie began but Tim interrupted her.

"I'm only here to pick up my phone and gear. I'm being sent to L.A. for a few weeks to help with a computer project. So whatever is going on with the case, I'm out of the loop now." He told her.

"But Tim, your sister has been calling.…"

"I'll call her back later after the plane lands. I'm gonna miss my flight if I don't leave now."

It was too late to tell him more. The elevator doors had already closed and he was gone.

An hour later, Tony returned to the office. "Shouldn't McGeek be back by now?" He commented.

"He was here and hurried out again. He was put on temporary assignment in L.A. for a few weeks." Elie said.

"But you told him about Sarah? He got her a key to his place, right?"

"I tried. He just walked out before I could explain."

"Well she can't stay with me for three weeks. I mean she could, but I'm sure she wouldn't want to and McGee would try to kill me if he found out. You have a spare room, Bishop?"

"Umm...no. And I don't even know Sarah. That would just be weird and awkward all around."

"Okay then, I guess it's down to me."

Tony went home that evening a bit unsure of what he was going to say or do. He found Sarah curled up on the couch reading a book.

"Let me guess, Tim is still busy." She said, putting down her book.

"Yeah. He was sent to L.A. for a few weeks."

"Shit." She was back to being worried. "I already called about my old apartment. A new tenant is moving in next week. I don't have the money for a hotel or a security deposit on a new place yet...shit! Shit! Shit!"

Tony crossed the room and sat down on the sofa next to her. "Don't stress about it. You can stay here for now if you want. I don't bite."

"But...thank you. I really appreciate it…" She said.

"I'm gonna go order some food. You can pick a movie from the collection over there." He pointed to a cabinet along the wall.

Sarah chose a DVD by the time Tony came back. "You have a really nice collection here. Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, Audrey Hepburn...all the classics." She said with a smile.

"You like old movies?"

"I love them. I like musicals too. Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. They just don't make movies like that anymore."

"You're right, they don't. So what did you pick for tonight?"

She passed him the copy of _For Me and My Gal. _They ate delivery pizza, and microwave popcorn while they watched. They both knew many of the lines by heart and recited them from time to time. Towards the end, Sarah grew tired and Tony found she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. Her eye was still badly bruised and up this close, he could see that the bruises on her arms were hand shaped. As the credits rolled past the screen he tried to gently move to lay her down on the sofa without waking her. She woke in a panic.

"It's okay. I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought you might prefer a real pillow rather than my shoulder blade."

She caught her breath. "Sorry. I've been kinda jumpy lately. Yeah, a pillow would be nice. Thanks."

They both woke up the next morning to Sarah's cell phone ringing. "Hello Tim….I'm fine now. I just called because I needed a ride. I got one...Oh. How long will you be in L.A….good luck then. See you later."

"You didn't tell him." Tony said from where he stood in the bedroom doorway.

"No. It would just make him feel guilty that he can't be here."

"Want waffles for breakfast?" He asked.

"Frozen ones or fresh?" She grinned.

"Hey I do know how to cook. Fresh homemade waffles it is!"

"I have to work until 4PM today. Will I be able to get back in?" Sarah said over breakfast.

"Yeah, I'll give you my extra key. Where do you work?"

"At the _Humanitarian Chronicle._ I'm a journalist there."

Over the next few days Tony and Sarah learned a great deal about each other. They had a lot in common beyond their shared love of old films. They both did their jobs out of the same motivation for wanting to see the world become a better place. They had the same favorite color, and they shared a lighthearted banter on many of their conversations. On saturday and sunday they spent two full days together and danced to 1940's music in the living room. On the fourth evening when Sarah fell asleep on Tony's shoulder during their movie, he shifted so her head would be on his chest and he could hug her. She woke up without panic this time and looked up at him. He reached over and touched the bruise under her eye.

"If I ever meet the detective that did this to you…" He didn't have to finish, she understood the sentiment.

Sarah started to cry. "That wasn't all. There are more bruises that you can't see and he…"

"He what?"

"He raped me." She said, her voice just barely a whisper.

"God. I'm sorry." Tony said, pulling her into a tighter embrace. She accepted it willingly and even seemed to relax in his arms. "Tell me his name. Even if you don't want to report what he did, guys like that can be taken down for some other crime."

"Detective Ian White." She whispered.

"I'll find him and I'll find him doing something illegal and make sure he pays for it. Okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip to hold back her tears.

"Hey, it's okay to cry. You've been trying not to cry ever since you came here. Just let it out." Tony said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Moments later she was sobbing in his arms. All the fears and worries that she had been holding in came spilling out in her tears. Tony held her and rubbed her back while she wept. Once her tears were finally spent she was exhausted.

"I guess it's time for that pillow now." Tony said.

"No, I'd rather sleep right here. I feel safe with you."

"I think two people on this couch might just be a bit uncomfortable. Good thing I upgraded to a queen size bed last month. You can come with me, just for a hug and sleep if you want to. It's up to you." He offered.

Sarah didn't have to think about it. She went with Tony without hesitation. He pulled her into his arms and she felt more warm and safe than she had in years. She felt something else too but she was afraid to acknowledge it, afraid that he might not feel the same. But then, what sort of a man invites a woman to his bed if he isn't at least willing to go all the way? She pulled away just enough to be able to look up at him.

"What?" He asked, noticing her stare.

"I don't know how to say this."

"Then don't say anything."

It wasn't clear who kissed who. It was only clear that they both wanted the kiss. They explored one another's mouths slowly and longingly. Their pace was slow and sensual. They took their time enjoying the closeness, feeling every inch of each other. Their clothes came off one item to a time and when Tony went inside her, he filled her up and made her feel whole. He rested his weight on his elbows so that he could still reach her mouth, thrusting deeply inside her, slowly, again and again. She moaned in pleasure and his speed began to increase. She bucked her hips against him and he groaned into her mouth. Her release was more powerful than she expected and clearly took her by surprise. Tony's followed soon after. They lay breathless and embraced for several minutes before either of them said a word.

"Tony?"

"Yeah."

"Not that I'm complaining, but how did that just happen?" She said.

"I don't know. I'm not complaining either."

The two them fell asleep after that and neither of them woke again until Tony's alarm clock sounded in the morning. He reached over and turned it off, still shirtless. He almost expected Sarah to flee at this point, to realize she'd made a mistake and run off to the grandmother that she hadn't wanted to stay with before. He was her brother's co worker after all, and quite a few years older than her. It wouldn't be far fetched for her to have regrets. Instead he turned to find her staring at him with admiration.

"What it is?" He asked, curious.

"Last night, that was amazing. That was the best sex ever."

Tony grinned. "You weren't so bad yourself."

She snuggled closer to him. "How much time do we have before you have to leave?"

"Enough." He said, taking the hint and giving her a kiss.

Minutes after Tony arrived at work, Bishop was standing over his desk with a disapproving look on her face. "McGee is going to kill you."

"What are you talking about?" He tried to sound unconcerned.

"Did you sleep with Sarah? I mean, I don't care who you're with. It isn't really my business. But McGee will care…"

"I doubt McGee cares about his sister's sex life." Tony joked.

"He does if she gets hurt."

"I'm not going to hurt her."

"So you did sleep with her!" Elie said.

"How do you even know that? Do you have some sort of a radar?"

"I don't need a radar. You're a guy who sort of... displays his conquests."

"I do not. And Sarah isn't a conquest. She's different than that." He protested.

"Good. Maybe McGee will let you live after all."

Tony got home that evening to find Sarah was cooking dinner for them. She was a good cook. This wasn't the first meal she had cooked for him. Yet, he knew as well as she did that the dinner was not going to make up for their need for a serious discussion.

"We need to talk." Tony began.

"I know." She said, picking at the food on her plate and not meeting his eyes. "This is the part when you tell me, we should just be friends and that I should get my own place as soon as possible."

"Is that what you want to hear?"

She looked up at him. "Not really."

"Good, because that wasn't what I wanted to say. I actually expected you would tell me that you were leaving and that you'd call or something." He swallowed, unsure how to go on.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I'd like it if you could stay for a while. But I know how crazy that sounds."

"It does sound crazy, but the truth is, I don't want to leave." She admitted.

"So does this make us a couple?"

She shrugged. "I guess so."

"It doesn't bother you to be dating someone so much older than you?" Tony had to know. Their age difference had been worrying him for a while.

"You're fifteen years older than I am. No it doesn't bother me. Actually I like it. I like a man with _experience._" She smiled. "But what are we going to do about Tim?"

"He isn't going to like this, is he?"

"Probably not."

"I guess we tell him a little at a time. Start with telling him we went on a date."

"You know, we haven't actually done that at all." Sarah pointed out.

"You're right. And we should. Tomorrow night, it's a date."


End file.
